In 1726, Nian Qianyao, a famous general of the generation who had been in the limelight, was dismissed from his post by the Yongzheng Emperor for 92 major crimes because he fell out of favor.
Nian Qianyao is dead, and the story has just begun. The Yongzheng Emperor also took this opportunity to eliminate and rectify the "Yu Party" of Nian Tangyao. Anyone who had a little to do with Nian Qianyao was severely cracked down. Even the two shogunates, Zou Lu and Wang Jingqi, were beheaded, and their families were given rations to the armored people as slaves, which was extremely desolate.
A man named Qian Mingshi was unfortunately also implicated.
Qian Mingshi, Zi Lianggong, Jiangsu Wujin people. Qian Mingshi is quick in thinking and has a brilliant pen and flowers, and is known as the "Talented Son of Jiang Zuo". In 1703, he passed the entrance examination and won the third place in the first division (Tanhua) in the temple examination, and naturally entered the Hanlin Academy and entered the career path. He successively served as an editor and lecturer of Hanlin Academy. Ru Jin's future unfolded in front of Qian Mingshi.
So, what does Qian Mingshi have to do with Nian Qianyao?
It turned out that Qian Mingshi participated in the Zhili Township Examination in 1699, and it just so happened that Nian Qianyao also participated in the Zhili Township Examination in this year, and the two had a friendship in the same year. Of course, if it's just the same year's friendship, it's not a big deal. After all, people who have the same year of friendship with Nian Tangyao, in addition to the township test, there are also meeting tests and temple tests, adding up to hundreds of thousands. No one could have imagined that what brought great trouble to Qian Mingshi was a few poems.
That was 1724. This year was the second year after the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne. At the beginning of the year, Nian Qianyao led the Qing army in Qinghai to "split the way and go deeper, pounding its nest", sweeping away the remnants of the Qinghai rebel army with the autumn wind sweeping away the fallen leaves. The "Great General of the Year" rose to fame, shocked the Western Province, and enjoyed a reputation in the government and the public.
After Nian Qianyao pacified Qinghai, Qian Mingshi gave him eight poems and gave them to him. Of course, these poems are all praises for Nian Tangyao, such as "Divide the Shaanxi Jingqi Zhou Zhaobo, from the Heavenly Drum Horn Han General", and compare Nian Qianyao to the Zhao Bo Ji Who assisted King Wu of Zhou in destroying the Shang State and the mighty Han Dynasty general.
At that time, Nian Qianyao was the object of everyone's attention, and it was extremely common for Qian Mingshi to write some poems for him. After all, Nian Qianyao was at his peak, and everywhere he went, local officials came to bow down to greet him, and even the Mongol princes and ministers and the king of Zasak County, Erfu Abao, saw him and performed the kneeling ceremony.
However, the prosperity declined, and just two years later, Nian Tangyao was planted. Because he was spoiled and spoiled, good at making a fortune, forming parties for personal gain, and greedy for wealth, he was alerted and jealous by the Yongzheng Emperor, so that he was swept to the end and his family was destroyed.
When the Yongzheng Emperor tracked down Nian Qianyao's Yu Dang, Qian Mingshi, who had written eight poems for Nian Qianyao, was also implicated. The Yongzheng Emperor convicted Qian Mingshi of "flattering and praising adultery." Qian Mingshi was dismissed from his post and returned to his original hometown.
Now that we look at it, Qian Mingshi is really a bit wronged. The reason is very simple, when Qian Mingshi wrote poems for Nian Qianyao, Nian Qianyao was still a big red man of the Yongzheng Emperor, or a well-known "Nian Dajun", not a "treacherous" person. Qian Mingshi did not have the function of an uncertain prophet, and it was impossible to predict that in two years Nian Yao would be knocked to the ground and stomped on one foot.
In other words, if Qian Mingshi was guilty of writing poems for Nian Qianyao in 1724, then what crime should the Yongzheng Emperor, who was promoted to the rank of Nian Qianyao in this year? The Yongzheng Emperor, who once wrote in Zhu Pi, who was not fleshless in the year of The Tang Dynasty, wrote, "Er's true feelings are really appreciated, and er also misses you very much" "Not only do you want to be rewarded by your heart, but your descendants and subjects in the world should be pleased with your hearts", "If you are not an outstanding emperor, you cannot reward Er's treatment; if you are not a superior minister, you cannot agree to the knowledge of Er", what should be the crime?
Of course, in ancient society, the emperor was never guilty. The only one who is guilty is the courtier. Qian Mingshi, who once had a great future, left the capital and returned to his hometown because of eight poems.
But it's not over. After Qian Mingshi returned to his hometown, the imperial court sent someone to send a sign written by the Yongzheng Emperor himself, "Famous Cult Sinner", which was hung on the gate of Qian Mingshi's family as a symbol of shame. On the first and fifteenth day of each month, local officials come to check whether the sign is still there.
The Yongzheng Emperor still felt that his anger was still unabated, and mobilized 385 ministers to write poems to scold Qian Mingshi and denounce his "bad deeds". Some of these ministers were scolded in their poems not "profoundly" enough, and they were not as good as the Yongzheng Emperor's will, and they would be rewritten back; some of them were sent to Ningguta to be enslaved to the Phi Jia people because of their "false poetry"; some were dismissed from their posts and driven back to their hometowns because of errors in the poems.
After some tossing and turning, the Yongzheng Emperor personally approved a collection of poems of "Famous Cult Sinners" and handed it to Qian Mingshi, who published it at his own expense and published it throughout the country. The paper used for publication must use the best rice paper.
In this unique way, the Yongzheng Emperor vented his anger at Qian Mingshi.
[References: "Qing Shilu", "Qing History Draft", "Qing Dynasty Character Prison", etc.]